Chapter 160
The Knight of True Flame awoke from the Abyss, only to be confronted by silence. He distinctly recalled fighting against Lailnetia the Devouring, falling into a trap during the skirmish. He had desperately tried to escape, but in the end, he had failed and was completely sealed away. So why had they suddenly decided to release him now?
"This is..."
The Knight of True Flame immediately recognized the source of mana before his eyes. It oozed and slithered, tainted with an impure and murky color. A power emanating from Lailnetia the Devouring had been given to him.
'What scheme is this? To give me mana...?'
The Knight of True Flame only gazed quietly, not touching the source of mana. He could not trust Lailnetia the Devouring in the slightest, and it was hard even to guess at his intent. Shouldn't he rather destroy the source of mana to keep Lailnetia the Devouring in check?
'Lailnetia's power can only be realized through the source of mana. Does this mean he's dead?'
Lailnetia the Devouring had been reconstructing his body using the power of corrosion. To wield that corroding aura, a transformation of mana was required as a prerequisite. Now that the source of mana had been abandoned, his bodily form was bound to collapse.
'He wouldn't have committed suicide just to give me mana. If that's the case...'
The Knight of True Flame instinctively concluded that Lailnetia the Devouring had been vanquished. No doubt, he must have faced powerful foes while invading the Agnes Empire. Of course, it must have been difficult, but they had somehow managed to win.
'Am I being ordered to destroy the world? What a delusional dream.'
The Knight of True Flame was not obsessed with destruction the way Lailnetia the Devouring was. He only wished to satisfy his own desires with ultimate power. Even if he was considered a villain and a monster, he could never be so twisted.
'I don't care what happens to any of that. As long as I can become stronger...'
Even as he hesitated internally, the Knight of True Flame slowly reached out his hand. He couldn't refuse when such obvious power was right before him. Of course, a price befitting this would have to be paid, but he was already well used to such pain. Now, all he wished for was to ascend toward the summit.
'I will use this well. I won't be consumed by madness like you were.'
The Knight of True Flame touched the source of mana and slowly accepted it. An alien aura burrowed into his body, quickly entangling itself within. As expected from its unnatural nature, a raging current welled up.
"Kh—ugh... I expected as much, but not to this degree..."
Overwhelmed by the numbing sensation, the Knight of True Flame couldn't help but curl up. This was a pain he had never experienced before—one that was the worst of the worst. It felt as if his very life was being devoured while his mind was being torn apart.
"Huuuaa... Pfft!"
He coughed up blood repeatedly and collapsed to the ground. His muscles seemed frozen; he could no longer move as he wished. All that remained was his will to survive, suppressed by pain.
"This time... it's not easy... krrrk!"
Writhing all over, the Knight of True Flame began to roll across the ground. His body, unable to endure the intense agony, trembled madly beyond his control. Wouldn't dying right here ease his suffering, even a little?
"No... I can't... absolutely not... ngh..."
He even erased his instinctive desire for death with reason. If he was going to vanish so in vain, he should not yearn for anything. If one harbors a desire, if one wishes to achieve something, it must be seen through to the end.
"There's no turning back now. I must prove that I was right..."
He was no longer shackled by memories of the past or his humanity. He could only see the yearning buried deep within himself, and the reality before his eyes. If he were to forget even that, his purpose for existing would be eternally lost.
"Even if it means nothing! Even if I am forever called an evil! I won't give up. Only then will my worth... GRAAAH!"
He desperately screamed, pouring all his fury into a piercing shout. This was not pain a human could withstand. It would only be because he had already become a monster that he was slowly adapting.
"I am not... finished yet... it is only beginning... nngh..."
* * *
Alter finished the battle and immediately entered a nearby fortress. He needed to reorganize the front lines while taking a brief rest. At least, now that Lailnetia the Devouring had been erased and the aura of corrosion had disappeared, their territory could be reclaimed.
"Did you really have to say that there? You haven't forgotten we're married, have you?"
"..."
"No matter how dire the situation, how could you tell me to just leave you behind? Do I look like such an irresponsible person to you?"
"..."
"Is it enough just for you to bear everything alone? Are you expecting me to become a widow so soon after getting married?"
"..."
"Don't you trust me? Why are you acting like this after everything we've been through?"
"..."
Alter simply listened quietly with his mouth shut. Normally, she wouldn't push so insistently, but the situation had been precarious, so she naturally became more serious. Above all, since she was his wife, she had every right to make her feelings clear.
"If you don't care about your own life, how could I send you to the battlefield? How do you see me?"
"Well... as a husband, it's my duty..."
"Is that an excuse? Do you really believe that's right?"
"I won't say it's right, but..."
"You're not the only one with responsibilities here, Alter. Am I supposed to just sit and do nothing?"
"..."
"And in that case, shouldn't I fulfill my duties as a wife?"
"..."
"I'm not saying we have to die together. But shouldn't we at least try our best to survive?"
"..."
Again, Alter found himself quietly listening, his gaze lowered. Though there was a difference in perspective between them, he couldn't deny his mistake. In hindsight, perhaps what he should have done was trust Brillie and wait quietly.
"Haa..."
Brillie shot a sidelong glance at Alter, unable to continue her scolding. Seeing him shrink back, her heart unwittingly softened. Alter must have had his reasons as well, and she should try to understand.
"Don't ever do that again. We're a married couple; we can't just abandon each other, right?"
"Yes. I was reckless."
"As long as you're not hurt, it's fine. The subjugation ended safely, so I suppose we can finally relax."
The fortune-teller's prophecy had curiously matched the outcome of the recent battle. Lailnetia the Devouring had hidden himself in darkness and spread the aura of corrosion. Thus, even as their forces received one-sided attacks, they couldn't execute him. Yet, as the Celestial One, Alter had saved his companion, and the Goddess Semerune descended to reveal the concealed darkness.
"... It seems the prophecy wasn't wrong, does it?"
"You could say it was almost completely right. Despite the odds being against us, we still achieved victory."
It was only after experiencing it firsthand that Alter came to realize they had broken the law of nature. Concealed darkness, the aura of corrosion, the Abyss, frozen time, flame of a Thousand Days—none of these were of any ordinary shape or form.
"If the prophecy is right, we'll have to fight the Knight of True Flame next, won't we?"
"That's likely. If he has absorbed the dragon's mana again... He's become even stronger."
Of course, Alter considered a separate possibility. A human should not be able to accept the power of the dragon three times. Moreover, with the aura of corrosion twisted in such a grotesque way, the Knight of True Flame might well end up thrust into a pit instead.
"There's no way the prophecy will be wrong all of a sudden... There's really nothing we can do, is there?"
"The fortune-teller said the direction the future takes depends on us. Even if the same events occur, our response can change the outcome."
"So we'll have to think about it later?"
"Yes. It hasn't happened yet, after all."
Alter observed the situation with greater composure than ever. He would not depend excessively on prophecy, but would take from it what he needed. Even if the Knight of True Flame displayed overwhelming force, perhaps there was a way to counter him somehow.
'... I can't be sure, but I think I understand a little. Fate itself seems to be exerting a subtle influence.'
* * *
Alraune faced Berhan with an exceedingly solemn expression. The fortune-teller, once subdued by foresight, had described to them the ultimate future. As a result, the fortune-teller was freed, and the previously foreseen future partially came to pass. At this point, how should he act?
"... Lord Berhan. Will you report to the Holy Church about the Goddess Semerune?"
"The Goddess of the Moonlit Night has sent a revelation not to announce her descent. So I have no choice but to obey."
As a holy apostle and a devotee of the Holy Order, Berhan worshipped the Goddess Semerune. Having received a revelation, he could not possibly disregard it. He could only accept it humbly, as any faithful follower would.
"If so, will you also remain silent about the words of the Goddess Semerune?"
"I will keep them in my heart for the rest of my life. As a holy apostle, I can only advise that you, too, great mage, do the same."
"You need not worry on that account. I, too, must respect the will of the Goddess Semerune."
From the beginning, Alraune was convinced he must thoroughly conceal these matters. The descent of the Goddess Semerune was such an extraordinary phenomenon that ordinary humans could never fully believe it. Above all, since the Goddess herself feared the outbreak of chaos, he, as great mage, had to be even more supportive.
"Hm... How much do you know about the Sword Flower, great mage?"
"Do you think I could know everything? I simply recognize her as the successor's wife and as one of the powerful."
Alraune was not about to reveal Brillie's secrets at random. She had forged a close relationship with his successor and had rendered great achievement up to the present. If Brillie hoped to live peacefully, her bloodline and origin must be hidden at all cost.
"It seemed the Goddess of the Moonlit Night appeared as a supporter of the Sword Flower..."
"Please consider it carefully. Not only the Sword Flower was present on that occasion, but both you, Lord Berhan, myself, and the next great mage. Why think she descended solely for the Sword Flower?"
"Hm... That is a valid point, but she did seem well-versed in the affairs of the Sword Flower. Doesn't that indicate a direct connection?"
"Even if you are right, we must not question it. Why do you suppose the Goddess Semerune instructed us to keep her descent secret?"
"..."
Berhan seemed startled for a moment, then acquiesced. If he had not trusted Alraune, he would never have brought it up. Yet, should he continue to question the Goddess Semerune?
"She spoke only to those present because she trusted us. You are a holy apostle of the Semerune Holy Order, Lord Berhan. Should you not understand this better than anyone?"
As he fixed Berhan with his gaze, Alraune could not help but harbor some suspicion within. He judged things from a pragmatist's viewpoint, whereas Berhan relied on pure faith alone.
'... Perhaps I'll have to erase the records on the Lihines Knight Order. Not even the slightest possibility can be left behind.'